Guitar-zither



2 sheets-sheet 1.

(No Model.)

I'. MENZENHAUER. GUITAR ZITHER.

No. 52o,651. Patented May 29, 1894.

TTHNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. MENZENHAUER. GUITAR ZITHER.

No. 520,651. Patented May 29, 1894.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED MENZENHAUER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

GUlTAR-ZITH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,651, dated May 29,1894.

Application filed April 20, 1893. Serial No.4'71,147. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Referring to the drawings, A represents Beit known that I, FRED MENZENHAUER, the sounding-board of my improvedmusical a citizen of the United States, residing in instrument, to whichI have given the name Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and ofguitar-Zither, because it partakes to some 55 5 State of New Jersey,have invented certain extent of the character of both the guitar new anduseful Improvements in Guitar-Zithand Zither. The general shape ofthesounders, of which the following is a specification. ing-board and itssupporting-frame is like This invention has reference to an imthat of aharp. An open scale of strings is proved musical instrument, whichcombines arranged at the right hand side of the in- 6o I to some extentthe advantages of a guitar strument, while a number of strings C are anda Zither, and which can be played with arranged according to a number ofchords, great facility `without special knowledge of in groups of fourat the left hand side of the the ordinary notation of music, theaccorninstrument. The strings of each chord are paniment being played inthe nature of a tuned so as to be in harmony with the cor- 65 I guitarwhile the tune is played on an open responding strings C of the openscale. The

scale of strings. Y different groups of strings C furnish the ac- Theinvention consists of a Zither-like incompaniment for the strings of theopen strument, in which an open scale of strings Scale and produce byvibrating of any one n are arranged, and a number of stringsargroupafull and harmonious accompaniment 7o 2o ranged in groups so asto produce the correto the strings of the open scale. The chordspondingchords for the strings of the open strings C are arranged as stated, ingroups, scale. At the front end of the instrument there being fourstrings c b c d in each group, is arranged a rest-board for the handswhile of which the string d is the leading string or across the stringsextends an inclined delowest in tone ot each group. The several 7'5tachable bracket on which the numbers of strings CZ are all located inthe same plane the strings of the open scale and the numabove thesounding-board and the strings c bers of the groups of strings playingthe b a of each group are arranged one slightly chords corresponding tothe same are placed. lower than the one preceding it, as shown in Amusic-rack is ,attached to the inclined Fig. 5, the bridge e beingprovided with tri- 8o 3o bracket for supporting the music of theinangular recesses e for receiving said strings strnment. and withstraight portions c2 for the lead- The invention further consists of thearing strings. Above the bridge e at the front rangement in connectionwith the sounding end ot' the sounding-board is arranged a l board ofthe instrument, of a separate tunrest board D which extends transversely85 ing string and a fret-board below the same, over the ends of thestrings, so that it does said fret-board being provided with frets, onnot touch the strings. The rest-board D which the tuning string ispressed, so as to serves to support the hands while in the act givethereby the different tones to which the of vibrating the strings. Thethumb of the strings of the open scale are to be tuned, right handsounds the strings of the open 9o 4o whereby the timing of said stringsis greatly scale, while the fingers of the left-hand vifacilitated.brate the chord-string. A detachable bracket In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure l F with an inclined face is attached by meansrepresentsa perspective view of myimproved of dowels into mortises orsocket-holes of guitar-Zither. Fig. 2 is a top view of the thesounding-frame, said bracket extending 95 same, drawn on a larger scale.Fig. 3 is a transversely across the strings and being proverticaltransverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. vided with the numbers of thestrings of the Fig. 4 is a top View of the same on a larger open scaleand with the numbers of the groups scale the rest-board being omitted,and Fig. composing the different chords, the numbers 5 is a front endview of the same. of the chords corresponding to the strings of roo 5oSimilailetters of reference indicate correthe open scale being placedabove the same sponding parts, so as to readily indicate thereby whatcorre sponding chord is to be sounded in connec tion with any one ot'the strings of the open scale. Besides the number representing the valueof the string, the pitch of the string may be indicated on the bracketF. The bracket also forms a support for the musicrack F which ispreferably bent of wire and inserted detachably into socket-holes of thebrackets. The lower ends of the miisic-sheets rest against theprojecting portion of the bracket F. The pieces of music are not printedin the ordinary musical notation, but are printed so as to indicate thenumber of the string of the open scale, and the number of thecorresponding chord, and are produced simply by printing the numbers otthe chords above the corresponding strings C. In this manner the art ofplaying on this musical instrument can be soon acquired withcomparatively little practice and without study of the ordinary musicalnotation.

At the point where the strings of the open scale and the strings of thechords meet, is interposed an independent string S which serves as aso-called tuning string. This string extends over a fret-board G whichis located on the sounding-board and provided with frets gfor theleadingstrings of the open scale. By pressing the timing-strings with thefingers on the different frets of the fretboard G and then vibrating thecorresponding string C, a sound is produced which corresponds to thesound of the corresponding string C, so that the latter when out of tunecan be readily retuned by means of the timing-string in connection withthe tune fretboard. This is an important accessory to my improvedmusical instrument, as thereby the tuningof the leading strings oftheopen scale, which always is a difficult thing for an inexperiencedplayer, is rendered comparatively easy, so that the instrument can bekept properly tuned. The strings of the chords are tuned in harmony withtheleading strings of the open scale, so that the music played on theinstrument is of a pleasant character and devoid to some extent of theharshness of the sound of the Zither, while possessing the soft fulltone of the guitar.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. A musical instrument or guitar-Zither, provided withan open scale of leading-strings at one side of the sounding-board, anda number of groups of strings arranged at the other side of thesounding-board, the strings of each group being tuned to the intervalsof separate harmonic chords for the leading strings, and each groupbeing composed of a bassstring and additional strings tuned in aharmonic chord with the bass-string, siibstantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the soundingboard of a musical instrument orguitar- Zither, of an open scale of strings, and groups of strings forplaying chords in harmony with the string of the open scale, each groupbeing formed of a leading string and th'i'ee chord-strings, all theleading strings being arranged in one plane while the chord-strings ofeach group are arranged successively below the preceding string,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the soundingboard of a musical instrument orguitarzitlier, having a bridge with straight portions and inclinedrecesses, and groups of strings for playing chords, the leading stringsbeing stretched over the straight portions, and the chord-strings on theinclined portions ot' the recesses, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the soundingboard of a musical instrument orguitar- Zither, and a rest-boai'd above the front end of the same, anopen scale of strings arranged at one side of the sounding-board and anumber of groups ot strings for playing chords corresponding to theseveral strings, of the open scale, substantially as set forth. u

5. The combination, with a musical instrument or guitar-Zither having anopen scale of strings and a number of groups of strings for playingchords corresponding to thestrings of the open scale, of a bracketextending across the strings and provided with characters indicating thenumbers of the strings and chords so as to indicate the chords to beplayed with the strings of the open scale, substantially as set forth. v

6. The combination, with a musical instrument having an open scale ofstrings at one side and a number of groups of strings for playing chordscorresponding to the strings of the open scale, a transverse bracketextending bridge-like across all the strings, and a music-rack attachedto said bracket, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a musical instrument having an open scale ofstrings and a number of corresponding groups of strings for playingchords, a tuning-string interposed between the strings of the openscale, and groups of chord strings and a fret-board below saidtuning-string, so as to produce different tones corresponding to theleading strings of the open scale and permit thereby the easy tuning ofthe latter, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRED MENZENHAUER.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, H. WILLARD GRiFiriiris.

IIO

